


Into Cézanne’s Arms

by barbitone



Series: Merlin Fanfiction [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Art AU, Artist AU, Blow Jobs, Bottom Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Clothed Sex, Figure Drawing, First Time, M/M, Masturbation, Mistaken Identity, Modern Era, Porn With Plot, Professor!Merlin, Top Merlin, artist!Merlin, sort of??, voyerism kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 06:01:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16057025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone
Summary: Arthur had no idea how it had come to this, he really didn’t. One minute he was yelling at his father, and the next he was- standing in just his black boxer briefs in front of a handsome stranger in the middle of an art studio in the woods. What the fuck.Now with a semi-sequel:Out of the WoodsRemix of this fic from Merlin's POV:Into Cézanne’s Arms [Remix]





	Into Cézanne’s Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: what you are about to read is absolutely not representative of figure drawing and definitely would be super inappropriate irl. But also, this is a fic so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> This was written and edited over the course of four days, so not up to my usual standard of agonizing over every comma for three years. If you see a typo- uh. Don't tell me!
> 
> The setting is cribbed directly from the college I went to (with some embellishments, of course) and the title is a bit of an inside joke, with, uh- myself. Every art professor I've ever had has had a huge hard-on for Cézanne and I've never quite figured out why.

* * *

 

Arthur was shaking with anger as he stormed out of his father’s office and the only person he could blame was himself. What had he thought was going to happen, really? He was hot with embarrassment, barely able to admit to himself how much of an idiot he’d been.

When Uther hired Arthur’s accounting firm to audit the University he was president of, Arthur had really thought it meant Uther was finally coming to respect him, see him as a leading professional in his field. But of course- he’d only done it because he thought he could strong-arm Arthur into making the recommendation he was looking for which, in this case, was brutally slashing funding for the art department. Sure, Uther always had reasons and explanations for his demands, but over the years Arthur had gotten good at reading between the lines. Uther was having some kind of feud with the department head in question and wanted to make a point about who was in charge.

In short, Uther was the same as ever and Arthur was the idiot who thought things could be different. He sighed and started walking- somewhere.

It was a warm spring night and Arthur loosened his tie and took off his jacket, draping it over his arm as he walked. He must have been arguing with Uther for a while because the college kids were out in full force now, stumbling already half-wasted to their friday-night parties. He felt invisible as he passed groups of laughing girls tottering around in uncomfortable looking heels on the old brick-paved sidewalks. A pack of frat guys smelling sharply of weed almost mowed him down in front of the student center and then a kid on a bicycle flicked the butt of his cigarette without looking and hit Arthur in the knee.

Arthur frowned and turned down a darker, emptier path. He wandered aimlessly for a while, the campus growing quiet around him as he moved towards the residential areas and away from the town center where the bars and the frats were. The paths were no longer made of decorative brick but plain concrete and asphalt, the crickets growing louder as he headed into a more heavily forested area. He could hear a guitar playing in the distance and found himself smiling a little.

He was feeling better now, more clear-headed. Uther could push all he wanted but Arthur was a professional. He would do his job and come to his own conclusions, and that was that. Decision made, he looked up to get his bearings and start heading home. Except- where the hell was he?

He was standing on a dark asphalt path in the middle of a full-on forest. Had this always been here? Was he still on campus? He spun around, frantically searching for any sign of light in the distance, but only got himself more confused. And now he didn’t even know what direction he’d come from. Hell.

He tried checking his phone but the GPS was putting him in the parking lot outside his father’s office, and that was definitely not helpful. His battery was at 17% and he winced, turning off the screen and slipping it back in his pocket.

He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. It was only a minor inconvenience, probably. It wasn’t like he was in the frozen tundra. He was on, or at least reasonably close to, a large college campus. He’d just- keep walking down the path and eventually he’d reach something. Right?

He picked a direction at random. Now that he wasn’t so lost in his thoughts he was definitely creeped out. The forest seemed wild, darker than it had any right to be, full of strange rustling sounds and ominous creaks. Arthur shivered nervously and immediately wanted to kick himself. This was stupid. He was being stupid.

There was a sound like a branch breaking behind him and he jumped, turning. A ragged human-shaped silhouette stared at him out of the trees, two glowing- _things-_ in its face like eyes. Arthur froze, breaking out in a cold sweat. _What the fuck?_

“Who’s there?” he demanded while fumbling for his phone. The figure didn’t move, just stared at him. He finally got his flashlight pointed at it and frowned as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

“What the fuck?” he muttered, staring at a- sculpture?- made out of branches and moss, two shards of reflecting material from a car tail light for eyes. It was hideous, marked by a plaque that Arthur couldn’t read from this distance. There was no way in hell he was getting any closer to that- _thing_ . He shuddered and turned back to the path. Maybe he _should_ defund the art department, if that was the kind of shit they were up to.

His encounter of the weird kind left him feeling a little shaky, even more paranoid in the forest than before. He kept walking, off balance and slowly getting more and more worried. He felt like he’d been dropped into some kind of dark fairytale, headed to grandmother’s house while a wolf stalked his every step.

Soon he started to hear the faint sloshing of water, didn’t think he was imagining the glittering of a light in the distance, peeking through the trees. He sped up, heart pounding, could just make out straight lines in the darkness that meant a man-made structure, and then a single lonely street light came into full view, its cheerful yellow glow beckoning him forward, promising a respite from the looming nature all around him.

He found himself standing in a small gravel lot, maybe big enough for four cars at most, staring up at a simple building. The front had no windows and that seemed creepy- why was everything around here so _creepy-_ but the door had a keycard reader like the rest of the campus buildings. Arthur was curious now. Why was this structure even here, standing in the middle of the forest all on its own?

He reached for his wallet and pulled out his temporary faculty badge. No harm in trying, right?

When he swiped his card the light turned green and he carefully opened the door. There was a light switch just inside so he flicked it on, squinting at the sudden brightness. He was standing in the middle of a hallway. One wall was lined with doors set at regular intervals and labeled with nameplates, the other wall was absolutely covered in charcoal drawings.

All the drawings featured a young woman standing in the nude. She was in the same pose in all of them, though each drawing had a slightly different angle on her. Some were crude, just thick slashes of black, while some were detailed with fine shading, so accurate that Arthur found himself blushing as he stared at one featuring her very lovingly rendered nipples. Most of the drawings were somewhere in between in terms of skill, but all were made with a kind of passion Arthur found enthralling. He walked down the line, trying to take it all in.

He heard the distinctive sound of car tires on gravel, the slamming of a door and rapidly approaching footsteps. Arthur jumped, heart hammering in his chest. Was he trespassing? Was he about to get in trouble?

_Get it together!_ He told himself. He was a full-grown adult, not a teenager sneaking into an abandoned shack to smoke cigarettes where his father wouldn’t catch him. His card had worked, hadn’t it? Clearly this place wasn’t totally off-limits.

The door opened with a loud clang.

“Oh-” a man stumbled in, holding a ratty leather briefcase to his chest. He looked up and Arthur swallowed nervously.

The man was easily the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. His eyes were impossibly blue, his dark hair was soft and tousled, falling into his eyes and messy around his charmingly large ears. His cheeks were flushed like he’d been running and his lips were plush and inviting, parted around a gasp.

“Uh,” Arthur said, completely speechless in the face of this tall wiry stranger.

“Oh thank god!” the man said, breaking out into a wide smile that made him even more handsome, and how that was possible Arthur had no idea. He felt his face growing hot, was he blushing?

“I’m so glad you made it,” the man said, fumbling with his briefcase to stick out his hand. His voice was rich, hinting at an Irish accent that was impossibly alluring. Arthur hadn’t known that was _a thing_ for him but here he was, practically swooning.

Arthur shook the man’s hand on autopilot. His palm was warm and lightly calloused, his fingers long and elegant, surprisingly strong wrapped around Arthur’s.

“You’re practically saving my life, and here I am- late! I had a bit of car trouble, and I would have emailed but then my phone died- of course,” he laughed, eyes crinkling up endearingly. “Anyway, I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”

“Uh- no?” Arthur said.

“Great! Did I mention how glad I am that you made it? It’s amazing of you to come out on such short notice- but I’m rambling, aren’t I? Why don’t we head into my office,” he said, walking off down the hall without waiting for an answer. Arthur trailed after him uncertainly, not quite sure what was going on.

The stranger unlocked one of the doors and stepped inside, leaving it open while he turned on a few lamps and puttered around. Arthur paused, running his fingers over the name tag on the door.

_Professor Merlin Emrys_

Ok then. He was about to tell the professor that he had Arthur confused for someone else, but then his mouth dropped open in surprise as he took in the office.

He hadn’t noticed from outside in the dark, but now he could see that the roof of the building sloped sharply upwards. There was a huge desk at the back of the room and the wall behind it was just a giant window nearly three stories high. The glass was a dark mirror, reflecting Arthur’s dumbfounded expression back at him.

To his left the wall was lined with bookshelves while the opposite wall was conspicuously bare, the drywall marked by a few small pieces of blue masking tape and hundreds of tiny pin pricks like marks from tacks. A single couch stood against the wall, draped artfully with a shimmering velvet blanket and carefully arranged brocade throw pillows. There was masking tape on the couch too, the bright blue incongruous in the midst of the rich fabrics. A space heater and a few tripods holding up lights stood pointed at the couch while an easel bearing a huge canvas was set up opposite, almost exactly in the middle of the room.

“No need to feel self-conscious about the window,” Merlin was saying as he did something at the large wooden desk strewn with papers and tubes of paint and tin cans full of stained paint brushes. He’d set down his briefcase on top of a teetering pile of books and was looking through his cabinets. “It’s just the lake out there. It’s absolutely teeming with snapping turtles, and that’s enough to deter even the bravest skinny dippers. No one is out there this time of night.”

“Ok...” Arthur said, not sure what Merlin was getting at.

“Ah- here it is!” Merlin said, pulling out a half empty bottle of scotch and two chipped mugs. “Looks like Gwen got into my stash,” he muttered with an ironic smile as he poured a generous helping into one of the mugs. “Would you care for a drink?” he asked.

“Sure,” Arthur said. What the hell was he doing, accepting drinks from strangers? But what was the harm, really? And it was friday night, after all.

Merlin handed him a mug of scotch and clanked his own against it before taking a sip.

“Thank you,” Arthur said. The scotch was good, smooth over his palate, and he felt warmth spreading through him as he drank.

“Of course,” Merlin said with another one of those brilliant smiles. “I need to get changed, but in the meantime why don’t you make yourself comfortable, feel free to look around. I’ll be back in just a few minutes and then we can begin, Tristan.”

“Ah-” Arthur said, fully intending to explain what had happened, but Merlin was already gone. Also- begin _what_?

He wandered around aimlessly for a little while, picked through the books on the shelf. Most of them were thick art tomes, their covers marked by colorful smudged fingerprints. When he got bored of that he walked over to the canvas set up on the easel. His mouth fell open in wonder- it was beautiful.

The painting was a palace scene, the background all sunlit marble columns and lush flowers in ornate vases. In the foreground stood the couch with the velvet and brocade pillows, and on top of the couch was a reclining man, nude but for a gold circlet around his brow. There was a sword beside him and a lion at his feet. He looked peaceful except for the vicious gash in his chest, dripping blood down his arm to the floor, pooling around a discarded dagger and the shards of a shattered mirror. Everything was rendered in loving detail, the colors vivid and sharp. Everything but the man, who seemed smoky and insubstantial.

“You see now why I can’t finish without you,” Merlin said and Arthur jumped. He’d been so caught up in the painting he hadn’t realized Merlin had returned. He got another shock as he looked at the man. The professor had changed into a soft flannel shirt he’d left unbuttoned over a tight black tank top. His dark jeans were streaked with paint at the thighs and ripped at the knees, the waistband seemed a little loose, settled low over his hips. He was barefoot now, a detail Arthur found himself oddly fixated on.

He tried to quell the wave of lust rising within him, tried to distract himself by taking another gulp of scotch, nearly choking on the strong liquor when he misjudged how full his mug was.

“I was working with Mordred previously. He was flighty at the best of times but then he had to go and get caught smoking weed in his room- he’s an RA!” Merlin frowned and shook his head. “Anyway, he’s busy with his court mandated community service now and left me completely in the lurch. If I don’t finish in the next few weeks I won’t be able to submit by the deadline and there goes my grant. And with Uther threatening to slash the art program, there goes the funding for the whole course.”

“That seems like a lot of pressure,” Arthur said carefully. He had no idea if what Merlin was talking about was even a thing, but he couldn’t deny how serious the man looked.

Suddenly Merlin brightened. “Well- no worries! Now you’re here.”

“Right,” Arthur said. “I’m here.” For what, exactly?

“Ready to get started?”

No, he really wasn’t. “I-” this was it, he was going to tell Merlin the truth. He was totally going to do it. But the way Merlin was looking at him, like excitement mixed with pure joy, had Arthur hesitating. Would it really hurt to just play along and be whoever this Tristan was, for just a little bit?

“Yeah,” Arthur said.

“Great! Now, if you wouldn’t mind stepping over here,” Merlin led him to the couch. “I just want to look at your angles,” he said and raised his hand just shy of cupping Arthur’s chin. He wasn’t touching him, not really, his elegant pale fingers hovering just a scant distance away, but Arthur could swear he could feel the touch anyway, like electricity dancing over his skin. He broke out in goose pimples as Merlin stared into his eyes. “Turn this way,” Merlin murmured, moving his hand slightly, still not touching him. Arthur followed the motion, turning his head.

“Normally I’d do a few sketches when starting with a new model, but I’m afraid I don’t have the time. It’s really a shame, though.” Merlin dropped his hand and stepped away. “You know, you’re a perfect fit for this piece. Much more than Mordred was. Maybe that drug charge was a bit of luck in disguise,” Merlin laughed. “For me, not for him. Sorry, bit of a bad joke.”

“I don’t mind,” Arthur said. Was he blushing? Of course he was. Fuck. _Get it together!_ He screamed at himself. He watched Merlin fiddling with something at the easel, bringing over a tall stool and selecting paint brushes out of the cans on his desk.

“If you’re ready, you can get undressed,” Merlin said casually and Arthur nearly dropped his mug.

Right. Modeling.

“Professor-” Arthur said. He was really going to do it this time, he was going to say it. _I’m not Tristan,_ Arthur rehearsed in his mind.

“Please, call me Merlin.”

“Merlin.” Arthur took a deep breath. “I-”

“Is something the matter?” Merlin asked. Arthur opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. “Are you afraid you’ll get cold? Don’t worry, I’ve turned on the heater. It takes a minute to warm up but soon it’ll be nice and toasty in here.” He paused, looking concerned now. “Unless- is there something else?”

Arthur flushed and had to look away. “I- um.” What Merlin said about the grant had sounded important, and Arthur knew for sure Uther was gunning for the department. Surely it couldn’t be that bad? He could play along for a bit, and how long could this take anyways? “Uh- no. Everything’s fine.”

“Great,” Merlin said, favouring him with that smile again. “You can set your clothes over there,” he said, pointing to a chair in the corner.

“Ok,” Arthur said, feeling lightheaded as he walked over to it. He drained his mug in a few hasty gulps and set it on the corner of Merlin’s desk before he draped his jacket over the chair. He kept his back to the room as he raised his shaking fingers to his shirt buttons, cursed under his breath when he realized he’d forgotten about his tie. He felt like he was watching himself from above as slowly took off his shirt, toed off his shoes and pulled down his slacks and socks.

He had no idea how it had come to this, he really didn’t. One minute he was yelling at his father, and the next he was- standing in just his black boxer briefs in front of a handsome stranger in the middle of an art studio in the woods. What the fuck. At least he’d chosen to wear a flattering pair, he thought a bit hysterically. Unless-

Arthur’s heart was hammering so hard it felt like it was about to jump straight out of his throat. The man in the painting had been totally naked and so had the woman from the drawings outside. But surely he couldn’t be expected to-

There was no way. He knew with absolute certainty if he was naked in front of Merlin he wouldn’t be able to keep it together. He’d definitely get hard and completely embarrass both Merlin and himself and then he’d just- die, probably.

He turned slowly to see Merlin fiddling with a gigantic cassette player.

“Any music preferences?” Merlin asked.

“I’m fine with anything,” Arthur said, this fresh absurdity hitting him hard enough to leave him winded. “You use _cassettes_?”

“We tried to get an i-thing in here a few times,” Merlin shrugged. “But they don’t seem to last very long with the paint and the turpentine and all the charcoal dust in the air. But good old Kilgharrah has been around longer than any of us, and he’s still running just fine.” Merlin patted the player fondly before sliding a cassette into the slot and hitting play.

He turned and ran his eyes down Arthur’s body, pausing a little at the briefs. Arthur steeled himself for the inevitable request, but Merlin just nodded and looked away.

“You’ve seen the painting, so you know the general pose. Why don’t you go lie down and we’ll adjust from there.”

Arthur stepped over to the couch. Now that he knew what he was supposed to be doing he realized the bits of masking tape were markers. He lay down, trying his best to fit into them.

“Oh wow, no,” Merlin said. “That won’t do at all. With your build- no. We’ll have to change the pose.” He was squinting at Arthur, holding up the end of his brush like he was measuring something. “Ok, just raise your left knee a bit- a bit more- no not like that. Ok, how about, your left arm, just- raise it a little past your head? No, like this,” Merlin mimed the motion and Arthur tried to copy it. “Um- that’s. Closer,” Merlin said, frowning.

Arthur sighed in frustration. “Just- come over here and put me where you want me,” he said and immediately flushed as he heard the words that had just come out of his mouth. Was it his imagination or was Merlin suddenly flushed, too?

“Uh. I mean- if you’re sure that’s ok?” Merlin asked timidly.

“I think otherwise we’ll be here all night,” Arthur didn’t quite recognize the pained tone underlying his words.

“Ok,” Merlin said and walked over. His tank top was riding up a little, showing off a strip of pale skin, a hint of abs and dark coarse hairs trailing down to- Fuck. Arthur sighed heavily and looked away. “Ok, I’m going to touch your left knee, now,” Merlin said carefully.

Arthur had to suppress a shiver as he felt Merlin’s cool fingertips brushing over his skin.

“Just- here,” Merlin said, moving Arthur’s knee up and out to lean against the back of the couch. “Ok, right knee now, set your foot on the ground-” Merlin ran his hands lightly down Arthur’s calf, pressing him gently into position. “Ok, right arm down to the ground too, here.” Arthur couldn’t stop himself shivering that time, closed his eyes tightly against the sensation of Merlin’s fingers brushing the delicate skin at the inside of his wrist. “Left arm,” Merlin said quietly, almost whispering.

Arthur let himself be maneuvered, trying not to think about what was happening. He tried to think unsexy things as Merlin told him to arch his back as he fiddled around with the pillows, told him to throw his head back further, spread his thighs wider, and all in that unbearably sexy accent.

“Ok, let me see,” Merlin murmured, stepping back. “Perfect,” he breathed out. “You really are-” he broke off. “Just, don’t move while I get the tape.” Arthur stayed still, practically quivering as Merlin pressed small strips of masking tape around his limbs, marking their spots.

“Alright, this is going to be perfect,” Merlin said as he adjusted the lights around him. “I don’t expect you to stay completely still, but just do the best you can, alright? You can move a little to scratch or take a drink- oh. Would you like another drink?”

“Yes, please,” Arthur said. He was still warm from the last one, or maybe it was the heater pointed at him, but he could do with another splash of scotch to steel his nerves. He still had no idea how long this was supposed to take and he could use all the liquid courage he could get.

“No problem,” Merlin said. He must have found Arthur’s cup on the table because he was back in less than a minute, setting the mug next to Arthur’s hand. “Ok, I’m going to get started, but let me know if you need a break or anything else, alright?”

“Sure,” Arthur said, looking up through his eyelashes to see Merlin get settled on his stool. Merlin looked at him for a long moment and then turned to the canvas and started painting in a flurry of motion.

Arthur watched him for a time, fascinated by the pure focus on Merlin’s face. He took a drink, careful to put his hand back where it was supposed to be after. The position Merlin had put him in was surprisingly comfortable, the room was pleasantly warm, the intimate lighting making it feel like they were in a magical bubble while the rest of the world faded away. The music was nice, too, with enough of a beat to keep his heart pumping with excitement while the vocals and instrumentals soothed it again. All that combined with the light buzz Arthur was feeling turned his world into a pleasant dreamscape and he found himself completely relaxed, not thinking about much of anything at all.

He would have dozed off if it weren’t for the quiet sounds Merlin made as he worked, his metal palette knife clinking against glass, stiff brushes dragging across rough canvas. The sounds kept Merlin’s presence at the edge of Arthur’s awareness, kept the arousal simmering just under his skin.

He didn’t know how much time passed, but he was startled at the clatter of Merlin’s brush on the table.

“Oh shit!” Merlin exclaimed. “I completely lost track of time, we skipped two of your breaks. Are you alright?”

“What?” Arthur asked a little groggily, looking over at him.

“It’s been about an hour and a half,” Merlin said apologetically. “You should probably stretch out a bit. Are you feeling alright?”  
  
“Yes,” Arthur said, but now that he was thinking about it he realized his body had gone a little numb. He sat up, shaking out his arms.

“Here,” Merlin said, rushing over with a thin black robe. “I noticed you didn’t bring one of your own.”  
  
“Thanks,” Arthur said, standing shakily to put it on.

“Just shake it off, walk around a little,” Merlin suggested and went over to his desk. “Finally, almost a full charge now,” Merlin muttered, looking at his phone.

Arthur’s blood ran cold. Whoever Tristan was, obviously he hadn’t shown up. He’d probably texted Merlin, or emailed him, and now Arthur was about to be found out as an imposter. How the hell was that going to go?

Merlin’s demeanor didn’t change as he scrolled through his messages but Arthur found himself tensing up anyway.

“Anything important?” he asked, trying for casual but he was sure his question came out as more of a strangled squawk instead.

Merlin was silent for a long moment, and when he looked up his expression seemed different. Or maybe that was Arthur’s imagination. Please god, let it be his imagination.

“Not really,” Merlin said at last with that by-now familiar smile. “Just a few students asking for extensions on their final projects but joke’s on them- I’m not easy like that.”

Arthur laughed nervously. He watched Merlin refill his own mug and bring it back to his table.

“Let me know when you’re ready to start again,” Merlin said mildly. Was Arthur imagining the oddly considering look Merlin ran over his body? Yeah, probably. Definitely. Almost definitely.

“I’m ready,” Arthur said.

“Alright,” Merlin said. “Then for the last hour, you can take off your briefs.”

“Oh- um-” Arthur stuttered, flushing. But he was in too deep now, he knew that much for sure. “Ok,” he said at last, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what Merlin had said.

An _hour_? There was no way he’d last that long. He took off the robe and put it on the chair with the rest of his clothes. He hooked his thumbs into his briefs. He couldn’t do it. Maybe this had gone too far. Was it too late to tell the truth after all?

Fuck. That ship had sailed a long time ago. He pulled the briefs down his hips, self conscious as he bent over to take them off completely. He was trembling as he dropped the scrap of fabric on top of his slacks, trembling as he took a deep breath and turned to walk back to the couch.

Was Merlin looking at him? He definitely was, of course he was. Oh shit.

It was going to be fine! Arthur just had to say that to himself over and over, and then he’d believe it, probably. And then it would be fine.

He got back into position on the couch but the easy peace from before was eluding him. He felt hot all over, nervous and embarrassed. He realized now the position he’d been in put him on full display for Merlin’s eyes. Oh fuck. Were his legs supposed to be open this wide? His back arched quite this far? He could hear that Merlin had started working again, but that didn’t put him at ease in the slightest. He tried to distract himself, focus on literally anything that wasn’t his body.

Arthur tried listening to the music, and even though he was pretty sure it was the same cassette as before it suddenly sounded different. The beat was louder, drowning out the soft instrumentals, and he found himself fixating on the lyrics and they were- oh god. They were _dirty_.

Shutting his eyes tightly, Arthur tried to breathe deep, calm himself down. It wasn’t working. He felt hot all over, felt his heart thudding and his body trembling. His right knee was shaking, jittering against the scratchy brocade of one of the pillows.

He could do this, he told himself. He’d done it for an hour and a half and had barely noticed. But now that he was completely naked he felt rooted in the sensations of his body, the velvet rubbing against his thighs and the brocade of the pillows against his ass. Most of all, he couldn’t ignore Merlin, watching him dark-eyed from across the room.

Arthur felt his cock start to fill and rise against his stomach. He tried to think of something unsexy but it wasn’t working, he was helpless in the face of his own arousal. Fuck. Maybe Merlin hadn’t noticed, but- no. That was impossible. Merlin was watching him more closely than anyone had ever watched him in his life.

“I- I think I need to take a break,” Arthur managed, sitting up a little and trying to twist himself away from Merlin’s gaze.

“Of course, if you’d like,” Merlin said slowly. “But don’t feel like you need to hide away on my account.”

What. _The fuck_. Arthur looked up and met Merlin’s eyes. The professor was staring at him, something like a challenge in his eyes. Arthur couldn’t help his gaze drifting down to Merlin’s crotch. Was he hard too? But it was impossible to tell, he was hidden in shadow. Without quite knowing what he was doing- _what the fuck was he doing_ \- Arthur lay back down, resuming his pose with his now full-fledged erection in full view.

Maybe it would- go away? But there was no hope of that. Arthur forced himself to lay there on the couch while Merlin watched him, scratching away at the canvas. He was more turned on than he’d ever been in his life, his cock throbbing for attention. It was almost painful, and within minutes he couldn’t stop his hips shifting restlessly, his whole body shaking with the beating of his heart.

There was no way he could wait an hour, he didn’t know how long it had been but he was already going mad, his brain overheating for sure.

“Is it ok if I-” he whispered, couldn’t quite believe what he was saying, asking for permission, even as he heard the words coming out of his mouth. “Can I-”

“If you’d like,” Merlin said, impossibly cool and composed from his seat across the room.

Arthur exhaled sharply and brought his hand up to his cock, had to bite his lip to hold in a moan. He was painfully aware of what he was doing, stroking himself while he was lying naked in front of a fully-clothed Merlin, staring at him from only a few short feet away. No amount of hot shame could bring him to stop. He tried to stay in his pose as best he could, if that even mattered anymore, as he tugged desperately at his cock.

Once again the question of _what the fuck he was doing_ presented itself, but it was quickly shoved away by the delicious pressure, both of his hand and of Merlin’s gaze. Arthur looked up through his lashes to see if Merlin was watching, saw him bring his hand down to press against the front of his pants- and that was it. Arthur gasped and came all over himself in thick hot spurts, striping his chest and stomach in cum.

_Oh no_ , was the first thought that entered his mind once he’d regained a sense of coherence. What the fuck was he thinking, what had he just _done_? He jerked, trying to twist into a position that would give him some semblance of modesty but his muscles refused to obey.

“No!” Merlin cried out. “Don’t move- just- stay like that, don’t move at all. You’re perfect the way you are.”

Did Merlin just say what he thought he had? He must have, because his words were like shackles around Arthur’s limbs and he found himself trapped, shivering at the echoes of _don’t move_ ringing through his ears.

Arthur didn’t move. He still had his hand wrapped around his slowly softening cock, still had cum drying over his chest. But he didn’t move, as much as he wanted to.

Slowly, his body relaxed back into that timeless state from before, caught in the moment. But this time it wasn’t the same, this time he was shaking from the heat rising in him like the ocean tide. He wasn’t a teenager anymore but it didn’t matter. He felt his cock filling again, felt himself sinking.

An alarm rang out and they both startled. Merlin jumped out of his seat and practically ran for his phone sitting on his desk.

Arthur would have liked to have said the moment was broken, but it was broken only for him to realize he was lying naked on a couch, covered in his own cum with his hand around his dick, aching for round two.

“I-” Merlin started and broke off. “This isn’t really-” he was saying as he walked over cautiously.

Arthur finally felt in control enough to sit up, and when Merlin got close enough he reached for the waistband of his jeans, unceremoniously yanking him closer. Merlin was hard too, and that was the only thing that kept Arthur from spontaneously combusting from embarrassment.

He knew if he looked up into Merlin’s face he’d lose his nerve, so he didn’t look up. He fumbled desperately at the button of his pants, the zip. Merlin didn’t move to stop him, didn’t say or do anything at all.

Arthur pulled his cock out, shocked as he realized the impossible bastard wasn’t wearing underwear, hadn’t been, this whole time- But then he had his lips around the head of Merlin’s cock and he wasn’t thinking of anything but the smooth slide of hot skin over his tongue, the stretch in his jaw. He engulfed Merlin’s length as far as he could with a muffled groan. Merlin’s hands descended to his shoulders, holding on tightly but not pushing away.

Emboldened, Arthur gripped Merlin’s hips and set an enthusiastic pace. He felt Merlin shaking and that seemed- fair, at last. Merlin was gasping quietly above him, fingers flexing rhythmically over Arthur’s skin.

“Wait-” he said, pulling back with his hand cupping Arthur’s chin, thumb rubbing over his spit slick lips. “Do you want to keep going like this,” he murmured, eyes dark, “or do you want me to fuck you?”

Arthur shuddered at the words, at the possibility wrapped inside them. “Yes,” he was saying before he even realized he’d opened his mouth. “Yes, I want-”

Merlin put his hand on Arthur's chest to push him back against the pillows, settled himself between Arthur’s thighs. He rooted around in a nearby box and pulled out a small bottle, handing it to Arthur casually.

“Get yourself ready for me,” he said with a smirk.

Arthur couldn’t think, could barely breathe, but the command cut through the haze. His fingers closed over the bottle. “So you’re just going to-” Arthur managed, “just going to watch while I do all the work?”

Merlin ran his hands down Arthur’s thighs, fingers digging into the muscle. “Yeah,” he breathed out, “I think you like it when I watch.”

Arthur felt a little indignant, and then a lot turned on, and then even more indignant for being turned on.

“Fuck- ok,” he muttered. He poured lube over his fingers, reached down to press inside himself while Merlin stared, leisurely stroking his cock where it protruded from his fly. He was still fully dressed and it wasn’t fair, and it was ridiculously hot, and Arthur let his head drop back into the pillows, determined not to think about it any more. He could figure out his kinks later, but right now he focused on pushing his fingers inside himself, stretching himself open for Merlin.

He was simultaneously embarrassed and turned on by the way Merlin watched him, couldn’t decide if he wanted to keep his eyes open or closed. Even while he had his eyes closed and his head turned away he could feel Merlin’s gaze raking over him like electricity. Looking was better and he turned to see Merlin stroking his cock, face flushed as he stared at Arthur working his fingers inside himself.

“I'm ready,” Arthur said at last, though it came out almost like a whine. He wasn’t really, would never be ready for the way Merlin was looking at him, the promise of what was about to happen, but all he knew was the heat raging though his body, shaking him to the core. He wanted this, more badly than he’d ever wanted anything.

“Are you sure?” Merlin had the audacity to ask.

“Please-” Arthur gasped out, pulling his fingers free. Waiting while Merlin pulled on a condom was agony, but then Merlin was there, guiding his cock into him.

Arthur inhaled sharply as he felt the first press of it, teasing at his entrance for a bit and then slowly pushing just inside. Fuck, it was so much already, too much, and they were just beginning.

“Here,” Merlin murmured and unceremoniously moved Arthur’s left leg to hook over the back of the couch, slid his hand under Arthur’s right knee to pull it up towards his chest, opening his thighs wider. He handled Arthur's limbs with confident authority, like he owned him.

Arthur moaned. He hadn’t thought he could feel any more exposed, but here was Merlin- proving him wrong.

“Easy,” Merlin whispered as Arthur took deep gulping breaths, trembling with his thighs spread impossibly wide. “Relax for me,” Merlin breathed and Arthur tried, he really did.

It was still too much but Merlin was slow, worked into him carefully with smooth shallow thrusts, impossibly gentle as he pushed in and out, coming inexorably deeper with every movement.

“Oh, fuck,” Arthur breathed, letting his head fall back as he surrendered to the onslaught.

“That’s it,” Merlin whispered encouragingly and Arthur moaned, shutting his eyes. “Bring your arms up,” Merlin said, stilling, “here-” he leaned forward and ran his hands down Arthur's forearms to his wrists, moving his limbs easily. Arthur did as he was told, quivering against Merlin’s cock still inside him, raising his hands to grip at the arm of the couch just behind his head. “Yeah, that's it. Now arch your back for me.”

“Pushy,” Arthur muttered but the instructions were a shocking turn-on. He obeyed, letting Merlin's fingers at his waist guide him, arched his back like he'd been told and cried out at the way he abruptly sank deeper on Merlin’s cock.

“Oh, fuck,” Merlin was whispering, running his hands restlessly over Arthur's chest and hips. “Look at you, you're fucking perfect.”

Arthur's dick jumped at that, and here was another thing he didn't know he was into. This friday was turning into quite a day of self discovery.

“Come on,” Arthur moaned. “ _Move_!”

“No,” Merlin said.

Arthur’s eyes shot open in shock. Merlin was grinning as he loomed over him, face flushed and hair hanging down over his eyes. He seemed somehow wild and yet impossibly in control, a study of contradictions.

“I want to watch you struggle just a little longer,” he murmured and ran his fingers over the head of Arthur's cock.

Arthur gasped and tried to arch into the touch. The movement shifted Merlin's cock inside him and then Arthur was gasping about that, too. He didn't know what he wanted more and he felt caught, frozen in the moment, trapped by Merlin over him, inside him, everywhere.

“Easy,” Merlin said, like it was that simple. Was he burning up like Arthur was? Was he feeling as completely lust-drunk?

Merlin folded down over him and Arthur nearly sobbed with relief when he felt him move, pressing until he was fully inside. The head of his cock brushed Arthur’s prostate and he couldn’t help but moan and buck up, angling for more.

“Like that?” Merlin asked and aimed to do it again without waiting for an answer. He was rubbing against Arthur’s prostate on every thrust and Arthur was writhing against him, making truly embarrassing sounds with every movement.

“Oh- Merlin, _please-_ Ah!” Arthur was gasping out, too far gone for shame. His hands were fisted in the velvet blanket draped over the arm of the couch, his thighs pushed as wide as they could go. He felt so full, so completely overwhelmed by Merlin rocking into him endlessly, firm and unhurried like he could do this all night.

“Do you think you can come for me just like this?” Merlin asked against his ear. Arthur shivered, knew the answer was _yes_.

“Please,” he moaned, “I can’t wait, please-”  
  
“What do you want?” Merlin asked. “Tell me.”  
  
“Touch me,” Arthur whined. He felt unbearably open, completely owned. He could- he could come from just this. But he was greedy, he wanted everything.

“Alright,” Merlin said and Arthur keened and arched towards him when he felt Merlin’s hand close around his cock.

“Ah- ah!” Arthur cried out. It was suddenly too much and yet not enough and he couldn’t stop himself begging for more. “Merlin- please!”

Merlin sped up and Arthur whined and jerked as he felt himself crashing towards his orgasm. He came with a soundless gasp and Merlin tucked his face against his neck, thrusting into him restlessly as he chased his own release.

It didn’t take long, soon Merlin was shuddering into Arthur’s damp skin, his hips jerking a few more times before he stilled, breathing hard.

Slowly Merlin pulled out and Arthur shuddered at the sudden loss.

They lay slumped together for a few long moments, catching their breath before Merlin drew back to pull the condom off.

“I’ll get you a damp towel,” he said.

“No, it’s fine,” Arthur interrupted. His fingers ached as he finally unclenched them and brought his arms down. “I’ll just go- I’ll just go clean up.” He stood on still-shaking legs and grabbed the heap of his clothes off the chair before going out into the hall. He found the bathroom easily enough, dumped his clothes on the sink counter before he wet a paper towel to wipe the dried cum and lube from his skin.

Fuck.

What the hell was he doing, exactly? Arthur didn’t know anymore, was starting to doubt he ever did.

He got dressed slowly, felt like each article of clothing was a layer of armor, turning him back into who he was supposed to be.

He’d just let a stranger strip him down and fuck him- but ok. Arthur wasn’t going to dwell on that. He was just going to- leave. Yeah. That was the right thing to do. He was just going to- slip back out into the forest and go home, and never think about this again. Except when he was jerking off, and then he was going to think about it a lot. Fuck.

Arthur patted his pockets reflexively and- of course. He was missing his phone. And his wallet. And also his car keys. Shit.

Arthur took a deep breath and brushed his hair out of his face, staring at himself in the mirror. Ok. He wasn’t a coward. He could go back in there and just- get his stuff. Arthur shuddered. There was no point in stalling, the longer he waited the more awkward it would be.

He steeled himself and walked back into Merlin’s office. The door was cracked, spilling a thin stream of light into the hall. Arthur stepped in, his eyes immediately falling to the couch, memories of what had happened rushing through him. He shut his eyes, breathing deeply as he tried to move past it. His exhausted dick tried to stir but he ignored it, that fucker.

“Welcome back,” he heard Merlin say, but he couldn’t quite see him in the room.

“Here,” he heard, and then saw Merlin waving at him from beside the window, which turned out to be a sliding door, now standing open. “Come, I want to show you something,” Merlin said with a smile.

Arthur found himself walking closer, intrigued despite himself.

“Look,” Merlin said, showing Arthur out onto a balcony overlooking a large lake. “It’s a shame not too many people get a chance to enjoy this view.”

“Oh,” Arthur murmured, taking it in. The stars were brighter here than he was used to, reflecting brilliantly onto the rippled surface of the lake before them.

“Do you mind if I smoke?” Merlin asked, fiddling with a pack of cigarettes in his hands.

“No,” Arthur said.

“Would you like one?” Merlin asked while he put one between his lips and lit it.

Arthur hadn’t smoked in years, not since his time in college when he’d used smoking as a way of getting out of awkward social situations.

“Ok,” he found himself saying. Why the hell not, after everything else he’d allowed to happen.

Merlin pulled another cigarette out of the pack, grinned cheekily as he slid it between Arthur’s lips.

“Careful,” he whispered as he brought a flame up to light the end of it.

The motion was oddly intimate and Arthur found himself flushing. They stood side by side in silence on the balcony, Merlin smoking leisurely while Arthur puffed furiously away, the familiar buzz not having the relaxing effect he remembered. He was finished before Merlin was even half-way through and tossed his butt into a nearby dirty can.

They were standing awfully close and Arthur was suddenly seized by the realization that they’d never even kissed.

“Merlin,” he said quietly.

“Yes?” Merlin turned towards him.

Arthur moved slowly, giving Merlin a chance to move away. Merlin didn’t move away.

Arthur wrapped his hand around the back of his neck, pulled him in for their first kiss. It was awkward and tense and tasted of smoke, but then Merlin melted against him, his breath hitching a little as Arthur wrapped his other arm around Merlin’s waist.

Arthur pulled away at last, breathing hard as Merlin watched him, heavy lidded. There was a small smile playing over his lips. He puffed on his cigarette, blowing the smoke away from Arthur’s face. Wasn’t he going to _say_ anything? Arthur hoped so, because he had no words, no idea how to proceed in a situation like this.

“Same time next week?” Merlin asked casually.

“Yes,” Arthur said on autopilot and then froze. “I mean- I might need to check my schedule,” he hedged while Merlin just smiled at him.

“I’ll be here either way,” Merlin murmured and Arthur blushed, pulling back.

“Ok,” he said. “I’d better- I’d better go.”

Merlin didn’t say anything else, just smiled and pulled on his cigarette.

Arthur nodded a little in a semblance of a goodbye, and then turned and left, still aching with the feeling of Merlin inside him. _Fuck_.

  


* * *

 

 

“Ok, I can’t take it anymore,” Gwen said. “What is going _on_ with you?”

“Uh,” Merlin said, blushing as he thought back to friday night. He picked up a cup of wine from the refreshments table and took a deep swig.

“Come on, something happened,” Gwen said, pushing.

Merlin looked around the gallery, but none of the other art show guests were within hearing range.

“Ok,” he said at last and Gwen leaned closer. “I had sex with a figure model.”

“Now I _know_ you’re messing with me,” Gwen muttered, looking away. “Your last model was Tristan, and he’s very happily married to Isolde.”

“Ok, that’s the thing,” Merlin said. “I thought it was Tristan, I mean who else would be wandering around the studio on a friday night? But then I checked my email mid-session and saw Tristan had cancelled.”

“Mid session-” Gwen started, and sighed. “Ok, wow. So mid session you found out you were drawing a stranger and then you just- _kept going_?”

“I didn’t _just_ keep going,” Merlin said. “First I-” oh god, “first I asked him to take off his underwear.” He couldn’t quite read the expression on Gwen’s face. Horrified, maybe. That was probably the best way to describe it. “And then, after- uh. _After_. I asked him to come back. Because he’s perfect, he’s so perfect-”

“I can just imagine how that went,” Gwen said. “Hope you enjoyed the dicking, mind if I draw you again sometime?” she said in a mocking impression of Merlin’s voice.

“Actually I- I said,” oh he was such a fucking idiot. What had he been thinking? “I said - ‘same time next week?’”

“You _didn’t_.”

“You don’t understand, Gwen!” Merlin said, struggling to keep his voice down.

“I think I’m starting to,” Gwen groaned. “So who was he, then?”

“I- I don’t know.”

“You don’t _know_?”

“No! But he was- hell. Perfect.”

“Oh my god,” Gwen said, massaging her temples. “Ok, it can’t be that hard to figure out. It’s not like he climbed in through the window- he had a key card. Students don’t have access to the studio unless they’re taking a class there, and you would have known anyone from the program. So he has to be faculty, or staff.”

“Are there any new hires?”

“Please,” Gwen scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Uther hasn’t hired any new professors in years, no matter how strapped we are. If he had we would have heard about it.” Gwen paused, thinking. “What did he look like?”

“Like a god,” Merlin said, flushing at the memory of the man laid out on his couch. “Gold blonde hair, eyes like the clear blue sky, his shoulders were-”

“Well shit,” Gwen said, staring at someone behind him. “Is that him?”

Merlin looked around carefully, gasped as he saw the stranger from friday arguing with Uther in the corner of the room. He looked so different buttoned into a three piece suit, almost regal, face flushed with anger rather than arousal.

“Oh my god,” Gwen said. “You’re going to get fucking fired.”

“Who is he?” Merlin demanded, turning back to her. “Why is he with Uther?”

“That’s Arthur Pendragon,” Gwen said. “Uther’s _son_ , who you _fucked_ , by the way. He was hired for the audit-”

“Any chance we can just- get out of here before he sees me?” Merlin asked, voice coming out as a panicked squeak.

Gwen smiled in the tight way that meant she was looking at someone she didn't like. “No chance of that,” she said. “They’re coming this way.”

“Oh shit,” Merlin muttered.

“Have you met the head of the art department?” he heard Uther saying, already too close. “Professor-”

Merlin couldn’t ignore that, as much as he wanted to. He tried to compose himself, taking a few deep breaths, and then turned around.

Arthur choked on his drink, eyes wide as he stared at Merlin.

Uther slapped him hard on the back and Arthur threw out a hand to stop him. “I’m fine,” he forced out. His face was beet red and any onlooker would have thought it was from his coughing fit, not from anything that might have happened days ago. It wasn’t like anyone _knew-_ well, aside from Gwen who was watching them intently- so why did Merlin feel like he was standing under a spotlight?

Merlin thrust his hand out on autopilot and was gratified to see it was only shaking a little.

“Merlin Emrys,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. He wasn’t sure if it was working.

“Arthur Pendragon,” Arthur said, slowly reaching out to take his hand in a firm grip.

Merlin felt a spark pass through them and jerked back. He felt light-headed and tried to cover by looking away and taking a sip of wine out of his clear plastic cup. He was aiming for casual but he felt like he was about to pass out.

“You’d better watch out, Emrys,” Uther said. “Once my son is done with his audit, your department is finished.”

“Oh?” Merlin asked, looking back to Arthur’s face.

“I- I haven’t completed my review,” Arthur said, refusing to meet Merlin’s gaze. “But I can assure you,” he said with heat aimed at Uther alone, “that I’ll be making my own conclusions.”

“I’m sure you’ll know what to do once you look into the bloated sports budget,” Merlin couldn’t help saying.

“The sports program brings money _in_ ,” Uther said, eyes flashing angrily, “while you-” he raised his finger to point at Merlin’s chest, “only lose it.”

Merlin opened his mouth to fire back a retort but Uther was already looking past him.

“Oh look, Arthur- there’s coach Agravaine now. Come, you should meet him.” Before anyone could protest Uther was walking away, holding Arthur by the upper arm. Arthur shook off the grip, annoyed, but followed anyway.

“Oh, Arthur?” Merlin found himself saying.

Arthur paused and half turned to look back at him.

“I hope you’ve had a chance to check your schedule.” Merlin’s heart was doing flips in his chest, not sure how to read Arthur’s expression. Was he angry? Embarrassed? Or was he maybe intrigued?

“Uh, yeah,” Arthur said, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’ll- I’ll see you friday.”

Merlin grinned so widely his cheeks hurt and Arthur smiled back, giving him a little nod before he walked away.

“Holy shit,” Gwen muttered. “He’s just as crazy as you are.”

“I hope so,” Merlin said, butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

“You have to show me the painting,” Gwen said, nudging him in the side.

“I don’t think so,” Merlin said, watching Arthur cross the room. “I don’t think I’ll be showing it to anyone.”

He thought back to the canvas. He could picture it perfectly in his mind’s eye. It was rough, most of the important work had been done in a scant forty minutes. The background was unchanged but the blood was gone, as was the knife. The mirror was whole where it lay on the ground, reflecting Arthur’s body- and it was undeniably Arthur, even through the broad strokes of it- laid out over the couch, his hand cradled around his cock and his skin flushed, head tossed back in pleasure. Sunlight danced over his hair, making it glow like a halo. Sunlight fell in streaks down his chest, throwing his chiseled physique into sharp relief.

He’d kept the crown. That part, at least, had seemed only right.

Merlin smiled. He couldn’t wait to work on it again.  
  


_fin._

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr at [barbitone](http://barbitone.tumblr.com/) \- NSFW art at [barbitone-afterdark](https://barbitone-afterdark.tumblr.com/)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Out of the Woods](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16067009) by [barbitone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone)
  * [Into Cézanne’s Arms [Remix]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16099877) by [barbitone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone)
  * [My Darling Artemisia](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16401911) by [barbitone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/barbitone/pseuds/barbitone)




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